KOHIMA: The SLEC agreed to upgrade, downgrade, and amalgamate government schools. Before any new private schools are established in the state, permission will be sought.
These decisions were taken in a recent SLEC meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the School Education and SCERT head. The School Education Department put out the minutes of the meeting on Friday.
This implies that both public and private schools will incorporate the newly proposed education scheme of 5+3+3+4 under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which SLEC approved; the Nagaland Education Service was allowed by the committee, while a committee shall be formulated to work it out.
They also agreed that private schools must get permission from the Education Department before they can be established, and all private schools need to operate under the guidance of their respective registered societies.
The SLEC also approved the upgradation of six government middle schools to government high schools in Kohima, Dimapur, and Mon districts. They also agreed to upgrade the government primary school in Ikishe village to a government middle school.
They further agreed to merge the middle classes of 16 GMS with 16 GHS and the merged school be named government primary school (GPS). They further agreed to the consolidation of 20 GPS and GMS into GMS and GHS.
At least 17 GPSs with no students enrolled will be closed down, which includes nine GPSs in the Peren district two each in Wokha and Zunheboto districts, and one each in Chumoukedima, Phek, Mon, and Tuensang districts. Teachers from such closed schools will be accommodated in nearby schools. They also streamed 54 GMS to GPS since there was no enrollment or only one student in grades 6, 7, and 8. The highest number of schools is found in the Zunheboto district at 15 schools, and then Peren with 12, six in Kiphire, five in Wokha, four both in Mon and Phek, three in Chumoukedima, two in Niuland and Tuensang, and one for Dimapur and Kohima. Graduate teachers in these schools will also be redeployed.
13 GHS to be graded as GMS because the school has no enrollment up to grades 9 and 10, which consist of four each in Kiphire and Zunheboto and one each in Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Peren, and Phek. However, the same will be taken for review in case student enrollment increases in the school and the excess teachers will be redeployed to teacher-scarce schools. The SLEC also approved converting vacancies in various posts under the Directorate of School Education into other categories based on need, and a committee will be formed to discuss this with the Personnel and Administrative Reforms and Finance Departments.
Finally, they decided to establish the State School Standards Authority (SSSA) and develop the Nagaland State Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF).
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